


The Ballet

by Generouslyinnercheesecake



Series: Commish [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Ballet, Bruce Wayne is a Good Dad, Cass is a ballerina and no I do not take criticism, Cassandra Cain deserves more love, Cute, Fluff, Injury, period, recitals, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:00:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25600228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Generouslyinnercheesecake/pseuds/Generouslyinnercheesecake
Summary: Cassandra Cain remembers looking out into the audience during her ballet recital and seeing her family.Requested by @agentofmarvel084 on Tumblr!
Relationships: Bruce Wayne and Cassandra Cain, Cassandra Cain and her family
Series: Commish [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855459
Comments: 2
Kudos: 109





	The Ballet

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Before we start the fic I would like to mention that this fic was paid for by the amazing @agentofmarvel084 on Tumblr! They were super sweet and please go check them out!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING
> 
> See you all at the bottom!

Cass’ feet were sore.

That much, she knew, but she couldn’t find it within herself to care much. The recital was next week, and she’ll be damned if she doesn’t make that difficult transition during her final routine. Her ballet teacher, Mrs. Ann, had casted her as one of the leads. Cass knew she couldn’t disappoint herself. This was one of her first major recitals. There were others, but they were always too easy for her graceful mastery. 

Her life and love had been built upon ballet. It was simultaneously an outlet to get out her frustrations and also express how she was feeling without words. Her body was effortlessly flawless and meticulous, like a fresh wave of water in the ocean. At times she thought she was meant to dance.

Cass was in her pointe shoes, doing her basic exercises in the manor’s dance studio. It was only her, the mirror, and the bar. She could feel sweat begin to form on her temples, but she was so concentrated in her practice that she didn’t care much.

She then heard distinct footsteps just as she was attempting to perfect the pirouette to the échape, a sudden and sometimes violently hard stop. It was Bruce, she could tell. The steps were quick and full of intention. They were light but also the sound was heavy of bass with his bulk of a body.

Cass continued to practice, ignoring the sound of the door opening and Bruce’s soft breathing as he observed her. Cass turned for the fifth time, her foot rising and falling in the process, then with a sudden stop, was able to rise to the tips of feet, which were spread apart. Her core activated as she slowly, gracefully fell into a split, her arms waving with the expression the dance attempted to convey.

The routine lasted for two more minutes, then she was finishing with a arch of her back and strong arms. Everything about her screamed ballerina, with the mastered technique and long, lean limbs.

She heard a polite clap at the doorway, and smiled when she remembered Bruce was still there. Cass turned to him, limbs aching from practice, but she still managed a sweet head tilt, silently asking him why he visited her.

“Mrs. Ann said you had a recital next week,” Bruce began. Cass ducked her head. She had forgotten to tell him and the rest of the family. Time passed by too fast for her, sometimes.

Bruce chuckled when he recognized her bashful disposition. “It’s okay,” he reassured her. She smiled. He was being genuine. “What time?” He asked.

“Five PM,” she responded. He nodded, then motioned to the doorway.

“I‘ll leave you to practice, then,” he responded. Cass knew he would see her recital. There was no question about it. What mattered most at this moment was practicing.

One day at a time.

* * *

Cass danced through the next week, barely noticing it was the night before the recital until Bruce had made a off-handed comment about it. She could tell he was resigned but proud of her, and she felt some part of herself wiggle excitedly to the silent praise.

However, despite all the pride that praise gave her, what mattered most was being proud of herself.

Cass was the silent type. She liked to hide in the shadows, where she was most comfortable, but with ballet it was a performance. It was showing the strongest and weakest parts of her dance, and expressing it so vividly that the audience knew what she was dancing for.

It had taken months of dance lessons for Cassandra to finally determine that she danced for herself. She danced to help herself. She danced to express herself in one of the only ways she could. Audience be damned. These nerves before her performance were unneeded. She had learned to love herself, to find her purpose, and no audience review was going to tell her otherwise.

“I’m proud of myself,” Cassandra confessed to Tim that night. Tim stopped typing, then smiled that rare smile. It was laced with love—something he gave to very few people.

Tim responded, “You’re an amazing dancer, Cass.”

She knew that. She was going to prove it to herself tomorrow night.

* * *

Mrs. Ann was more than encouraging with Cass. She was one of the rare adults the young woman could trust, and the look on her face as Cass left the wings was more than beautiful to her. It was absolutely shining.

Cass’ transitions were beautiful, her body a paintbrush and the stage her canvas as she leapt and spun. She was like a gust of wind making her way through the play, her presence felt and cooling to the audience due to her expressive moves. Cassandra knew her brothers and father were in the crowd because of a quick text from Steph, who had also attended beside Tim.

The crowd was beautifully receptive, but Cass couldn’t find it within herself to care. She just wanted to see her family.

* * *

“That was awesome!” Steph exclaimed, tugging Cass into a hearty embrace. Alfred was waxing poetic with her performance, and the rest of the family was talking about how pretty she was up on the stage, including Damian.

Cass felt another surge of pride go through her body, and she didn’t hesitate to unashamedly feel it. These were the people she loved. She knew she loved them and nothing would change that.

* * *

Cassandra wasn’t too surprised when Alfred brought out a small cake after her performance and they had all arrived back at the manor, mostly because she knew her family. She knew they were sweet enough to do something like this. There was intricate handwriting on it, and she vaguely read it as, ‘Good job, Cass!’ She still had trouble with reading, and she especially appreciated how they used a common phrase she had seen on paper multiple times before.

It was simple, and it was beautiful.

“So, Cassie,” Jason began talking to her, a small smirk on his face. That was always his version of a grin. “I didn’t know you could dance so well.”

Cass smiled back, the edges of her lips were rounded and kind. “I like dancing. Helps.” She didn’t need to clarify what that meant. She knew Jason already knew.

Jason’s smirk turned soft as well. “I know how you feel.” Cass stared at him, as though she could read into his soul. Jason chuckled. “You should teach me how to do a pirouette or somethin’,” he jokingly suggested. “Let’s see how much my weight brings me down.” Cass giggled. She wasn’t going to say otherwise, but she was thinking that too.

* * *

Black Bat was leaping through the air, wind whipping past her. Batman was at her side, leaping with not the same gracefulness but the same mastery. They were simultaneous in how they fought. It was a give and take, as they both could read each other so well.

Cass liked working with Bruce. Bruce was not like David Cain. He truly cared for their safety in ways Cass’ biological dad didn’t. Yes, Bruce had many, many faults. Issues with control, and many more with self-image based on performance, but Cassandra never doubted his devotion to his family.

They heard a scream two alleys away, and without even glancing at one another, leapt across the adjacent rooftops to save another civilian.

A woman was lying on the dank ground surrounded by multiple men. It was still horrifying to see these crimes about to take place, for Cass: it meant there will always be bad in the world, but that also meant there will always be good people. People who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the people they love. Cass liked to think she was a good person, and knew her family was all good. Even Damian and Jason. Especially Damian and Jason.

The fight was quick and efficient, as all things with Batman and Black Bat were. The woman rushed out into the street and ran to her home, as per Batman’s orders.

Cass felt her side ache with most likely broken ribs. It was sloppy of her to allow it to happen (she so rarely did), but she knew the long length of her day had caught up. The recital had been that evening, and she thought she was able to handle staying up until at least 3AM. When Cass looked at Bruce, she asked, “What time is it?”

Bruce paused, then answered, “3:35. You need to go home. It’s been a long day.”

Cass hummed as a way of agreement. “You too.”

Black Bat unashamedly giggled when Batman threw her a vicious glare, though she tried to ignore the growing pain in her midsection. She had always been immune to Bruce’s glare. After another useless minute of glaring, Bruce surprisingly gave up and grappled up the rooftops. Cass followed him back to the cave despite her groaning ribs.

* * *

Robin had gone on patrol with Spoiler, and Tim was forced to stay home because he was three days in with no sleep. Dick had stopped by the cave after patrolling Gotham to share some files from a case in his city, apparently, and Alfred was patching up Spoiler, who had almost gotten mauled by a stray dog. Cass wanted to laugh, but knew it would only hurt her ribs further.

“Ribs. Broken,” she told Alfred after he finished with Stephanie. He nodded tiredly, and Cass once again felt bad for the man. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, eyes speaking more for her.

Alfred let out a somehow dignified snort. “No need, Miss Cassandra.” She felt herself sag with relief. “The others are much more reckless.”

Cass grinned.

Jason entered the cave a few minutes later with a bloodied side. Alfred raised a single eyebrow, then gave Cass a pointed look, as though saying, ‘See? I was right.’ Alfred was always right.

Cass hopped off the medical table, then walked to Bruce and Dick. They were discussing the recent case, attempting to rule out suspects and people they could interview. It was a typical case, but they never lapsed in their process during each one. They were still as meticulous as the last case.

“Hey, Cass,” Dick greeted her with an exhausted smile.

Cassandra blinked twice, then responded suddenly, “Sleep. Cuddle.” She knew it was something they all needed.

Bruce growled low in his throat. “Cassandra..”

“Please.” She knew it would convince her dad enough.

And, of course, he sighed, low and heavy, then murmured, “I’ll be in my room.”

Cass smirked. “Dick,” she turned to him. She could tell he was trying to suppress a startled laugh. “Let’s go.”

He shook his head fondly, but Cass could see in his body that he was going to join her. “Where ya’ goin’?” Jason asked. Steph and Damian were now listening in on the conversation, and she could tell Alfred was doing the same but much more sneakily.

“Invading Bruce’s bed for a cuddle session,” Dick responded with a deep chuckle.

Damian scoffed arrogantly, but Cass could tell by the line of his tense shoulders that he secretly yearned for that. “Come, Damian,” she softly demanded.

The boy seemed to hesitate for a moment, then Cass’ eyes narrowed dangerously. He was more enthusiastic to join them after that.

“I’ll go with,” Steph interjected. Everyone looked at her oddly. “What?” She shrugged her shoulders. “An opportunity to torment the Bat with affection? Hell yea.”

Jason snorted, entirely undignified, then mentioned, “Does sound kinda nice.” Cass knew it was really about the physical connection that Jason sometimes craved, especially when he was lonely.

Alfred raised an eyebrow at their sudden decision, but did not comment any further than, “No more injuries.”

Dick snorted at that, but nodded obediently. “Will do, Alfie.”

The night ended with Cass tangled up with her family on her dad’s vast bed. It was comforting, being surrounded by so many people that she loved in such a vulnerable position. Steph was lightly snoring, Damian as stiff as a board but asleep, Dick curled up into Jason, and Jason was lying face down. Bruce was, silently, stroking Cass’ black hair, and as she fell into the darkness of sleep she knew one thing.

Family was constant. Family was always there. Family would never leave. Family would never stop loving. Even in sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> How was it? Make sure to leave in the comments! Your comments keep me motivated! 
> 
> All love <3


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